Thursday, 29 March 2012

Rhodesian Memories 1949 - 1954

By Canon William (Bill ) Girard

Etienne John Girard b. 1908 came to S. Rhodesia in January 1948 and worked at the Rezende Mine Penhalonga. In June he was joined by his wife, Nine Benita Girard b. 1909 and their twosons, William Nicholas Charles b. 1935 and Peter John b. 1940. At first they lived on the hill where the Mine and plant were situated and later moved to the house (picture 4) situated on the road towards the Old West Mine and S. Augustine;s Mission. Near to the house was the Penhalonga tennis Club.

In 1950 or thereabouts Mrs. Girard's sister, Nora von Schilling (picture 1) came to live with the family. Nora was a photographer who had worked prior to the war in Estonia from where the family originated, then throughout the war years in Germany. While in Southern. Rhodesia she worked for E.T. Brown, Photographer, Umtali amongst whose photographic archive there are likely to be examples of her work. She stayed only a short while in S. Rhodesia before returning to Germany.

Some of the listed photographs may be her work: otherwise they are by her sister.

The photographs are numbered in pencil on the reverse, the locations being as inscribed already in the handwriting of Mrs. Girard. Otherwise unknown. Precise dating indeterminate.